A New Touch To Mortality
by Whovian-2006
Summary: Katherine wakes up after having the cure shoved down her throat. Post-season 4 finale.
1. Chapter 1

I haven't written fanfiction in a long time but I wanted to write something to do with the season 5 finale. Just wanted to see what you all thought of this and if there are people who do like it, then I will carry it on. If not, then it can just stay as a one-shot! :) Enjoy!

As Katherine began to awaken into the world which had grown to despise her, the world looked down upon her in curiosity, excitement and jealousy. Her muscles ached like they've never ached before. Bruises had begun appearing in various forms across her now vulnerable and weak body. She flinched as the pain began to register with her. She flinched again after feeling something cool upon her forehead. An attempt at finding out what or who it was failed as she struggled adjusting to the light with her now dulled vision. Her eyes squinted as she heard a surprising yet comforting voice.

"It's fine, Katherine. Just take your time. Relax." She'd know that voice anywhere. Slowly but surely, Katherine opened her eyes, taking her time to adjust to how bright the room was. She wanted to confirm who was in the room with her. She was right. Katherine looked up to see the the dark haired boy she never once stopped loving, even when he hated her guts. Stefan. She let out a brief smile but quickly let it fall as she realised there were other people now crowding around her.

The brunette rapidly sat up straight, regretting it almost instantly as dizziness took over. "Alright, what happened and why are we in Stefan's room?" Katherine asked, taking in her surroundings.

Elijah gently took hold of both of her wrists and looked deeply into her in the eyes. "What's the last thing you remember, Katerina?"

"Elijah!" Katherine exclaimed, a huge grin across her face.

"This is serious, Katherine. What's the last thing you remember?" Klaus interrupted. She didn't even take her eyes away from Elijah whilst the hybrid spoke. Her face fell as she began to look blankly ahead, figuring out for herself just what the last thing she remembered was.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, trying to find something to say. "I..." She began, but couldn't find the words to finish or even attempt to carry on the sentence. She scanned the room, searching for something, anything that might jolt her memory slightly. Nothing. Then she spotted Elena on the other side of the room, wrapped securely in Damon's arms. Katherine's face hardened as the memories came flooding back. Elena's face in turn hardened as she glared at her ancestor and doppelganger. Now that she was mortal, she could kill her easily, finally get her back after what she did to Jeremy. Katherine could see now that Damon was only holding his girlfriend back for the protection of Katerina herself. Katherine looked towards Klaus who only smirked at her. Fear overwhelmed her as she realised what Klaus would soon do now that she was human again. She wanted to run. Run exactly how she had been doing for the past five hundred years. Being human was now a major flaw in that plan. Especially in the condition she was in at the moment. She'd barely be out of Mystic Falls before either Klaus or his minions caught her. Katherine took a deep breath and composed herself, composed herself for the danger that was about to hit her like a sudden tsunami that she couldn't run away from. "So I'm human?" She gulped. It was a question but it sounded more of a statement, if anything. _Human. _She mentally said again, playing around with the word. She'd forgotten what it was like to be human. It had been so long. She couldn't live a normal human life, surely? She had witnessed and mocked the vulnerability of Elena when she was human. Difference being, Elena had people around her that protected and followed her every move. Katherine was sure no one would ever be kind enough to protect her, the psychotic bitch who ruined everyone's lives.

Elijah spoke. He looked guilty for what happened to his beloved Katerina. "You're going to struggle adjusting back to a human life, Katerina. You're not exactly in the best shape either to be going out in the world on your own."

Katherine looked surprised. She laughed at the idea. "So you lot are actually going to look after me? I'm old enough, I'm sure I can look after myself, thanks."

"Stefan's going to look after you." The moral original stated. Katherine turned her head to look at Stefan, raising her eyebrows.


	2. Chapter 2

"Stop looking so glum, Rebekah" Klaus said from across the room. Everyone but Katherine had gathered in the Salvatore living room, giving the elder doppelganger a few hours to rest. Rebekah had come straight over after hearing of the news. She knew she no longer had any chance in the world to become human again but her faith and hope still lingered. Perhaps one day, something else would show up. Another cure. Some sort of spell to undo what she had been for a thousand years. To lift the curse that was placed on her by her own family.

"That should have been me." Rebekah stated sadly. Elijah looked up at her, realising how upset she truly was about the whole situation. She really did look as if she was about to burst into tears at any given point. Elijah got up and sat next to his younger sister, pulling her close into him. She may be an original vampire but she was more human than any of her siblings. She really did care about the little things vampires shouldn't worry about. Human experiences like proms, falling in love and raising a family.

Klaus reached over to retrieve his freshly poured glass of the red coloured liquid they had been so used to drinking. "I don't really see why it bothers you so much, sister. You've been a vampire for a thousand years now, I'm sure you're used to it by now. "

The original sister only glared at her brother. "I may be used to it but that doesn't mean anything to me. Can't you see? Being a vampire is a curse, Nik. It's not a blessing. I wanted to become human again and live the life I was supposed to before mother turned us all into monsters. Now that Katherine has taken the cure, I'm never going to get that opportunity again." Rebekah looked briefly over to Elena who looked fairly calm on the outside but everyone who was currently under this roof knew she was on the edge. As much as Elena wanted Katherine to suffer a long and brutal human life, she wanted to kill her there and then equally as much.

"Speaking of a certain brunette doppelganger..." Damon said as Katherine stumbled into the living room, one hand pressed against her forehead. As she reached the few steps that gave another level to the room, she took hold of the post nearby and balanced herself.

Stefan sped to her and placed his hands upon her shoulders. "Are you okay?" Katherine lightly shook her head, transferring her hand from the post to hold onto Stefan. He then lead her down the couple of steps and onto the sofa where everybody else was. "How are you feeling?"

"Am I supposed to feel like this? I feel like I want to be sick. I've got a huge headache that hasn't stopped throbbing since I woke up. My muscles ache and to be honest, I feel like I'm going to faint."

Stefan gave her a glass of water, hoping that would make her feel at least a tiny bit better. "Katherine, no vampire has ever turned back into a human before. None of us know how it's going to affect you."

"It's kind of a learn-as-you-go process." Damon interrupted. "We didn't even know how long it was going to be before you woke up. You were unconscious for a good few days, you know? You could have died in that time for all we knew." Katherine's eyes widened at the thought of dying. Mortality was the last thing she had ever wanted. She wanted to live forever. She wanted to laugh at the people who thought they had any chance of killing Miss Katherine Pierce. Maybe if she kept a low profile about being human, no vampire would go after her? Then she remembered who was also in this house. Elijah, Rebekah, Klaus, Damon, Stefan and Elena. That's six vampires who knew already. How fast could the news of her becoming mortal again spread? Her mind was soon distracted from that thought as she felt a wave of sickness overwhelm her. She sat up straight for a few seconds with the back of her hand covering her mouth before she made her way as quick as she humanly could to the bathroom. There wasn't much of a break between her arriving at the bathroom and what happened next. As soon as she got there, the rush of sickness came. It wasn't like a normal human being sick though, it was blood.

* * *

"Elena. Why don't you go and help her out? You're better at dealing with people." Damon asked with the kindest voice he could put on.

Elena laughed. "Are you kidding, Damon? If you want me to kill her there and then, that's fine but I won't do much good 'helping her out'."

"I'll go" Stefan bluntly said.

"No Stefan, Elena was the one who shoved the cure down her throat. She should go and help her out."

"That is true." Klaus joined in. "Maybe you should make it up to her and start being nicer towards Katherine."

"Who's side are you two actually on here?" Elena asked, shocked at what they had both said. She was really unimpressed with the attitude Damon and Klaus were now giving her.

"We're not on anyone's side, Lena. If anything, I'm obviously on your side but you do need to apologise to her in some form. She will try to kill you I'm sure. It's not like she's inexperienced in that field." Damon explained.

"So you're looking out for me?" The vampire doppelganger replied, smiling.

"Of course I am." Damon lent in to kiss his girlfriend before he told her to go and sort Katherine out.

Elena sighed and slowly made her way to the bathroom. She may be a vampire but she wasn't going to rush, it wasn't like she wanted to help her out. It was only a few seconds after leaving the company of the others that her senses began to pick up on the all too familiar smell. "Katherine?" She called out. "Why can I smell blood?" She waited a few seconds but there was no reply. Elena still didn't use her vampire speed but she did run to the bathroom. That was where the blood was coming from. As she opened the bathroom door, she saw Katherine leaning against the bathtub. Her eyes were swollen with tears and her mouth and the toilet was covered in blood.


	3. Chapter 3

"What happened?" Elena asked, edging her way over to Katherine who stared at up at her shadow self with scared eyes. Katherine couldn't find her voice. What she had just experienced was something new to her and new scared her.

Elena was reminded of Pastor Young's funeral, when she brought blood back up herself. It's not good for anyone to bring up blood but for a vampire, it's dangerous. When blood is your only means for survival, you're doomed for death if your body rejects it. Elena was certain she was going to die, so close to actual death itself. She was scared, even felt like she was destined not to become a vampire. Elena couldn't imagine what Katherine must be going through. Bringing up that much blood as a human must be terrifying. Letting out a small sigh, she grabbed her own makeup wipes that were next to the sink and sat opposite Katherine.

"What are you doing?" Katherine asked. She was scared Elena was going to suddenly lash out and kill her. It wouldn't surprise her at all, considering Elena looked as though she was ready to pounce on her when she woke up earlier.

Elena looked down at the wipes she was holding, smiling. "In all honesty, the boys kind of forced me to come and help you."

Katherine replied quite bluntly, her voice shaky. "I don't need help from you." She attempted to stand up but Elena grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.

"You're not okay, Katherine." She took a wipe out and began cleaning up all of the blood that was now on her ancestor. "I'm not saying I'm sorry for forcing you the cure" Katherine glared at her, allowing her to clean the blood off of her. "but my transition wasn't a memorable experience. And from what I can tell, you getting used to being human again isn't going to be fun either." Elena took her hands and and finished cleaning off the blood.

Katherine scoffed. "Like I said, I don't need your help. I've been human before, you know? I'm sure I'll manage."

"Yeah, but a lot has changed since you were human. And if you want to survive, I'd suggest learning to not push people away. You actually have people in this house that are willing to help, even if it is unlike them to help you. I wouldn't waste that opportunity. I'm sure they could easily change their minds."

There was a long and awkward silence between the two doppelgangers. Neither of them had ever spoken to each other like that before. It felt so strange, even for Elena who cared about a lot of people. Katherine's eyes then began to swell up again and tears started to fall down her delicate face. Clearly, human emotions were slightly out of Katherine's control at the moment, Elena thought. "Thank you. For helping me, I mean."

Elena let out a slight smile. "You're welcome. Let's get back to the others, they'll be wondering what's taking so long." They both smiled as Elena helped Katherine stand up and make her way to the living room. She was still shaky and didn't feel great but the feeling of sickness had lifted so she was thankful for that. The throbbing headache had even lifted slightly.

As they made their way through the Salvatore boarding house, Elena had to question herself. Did she really just give Katherine Pierce help?

* * *

A.N: Short chapter, I know. I'll promise to try and make them longer. Thought it's better to update you with something rather than leave you waiting ages. Anyway, for those of you wanting Steferine, don't worry! There will be more of them two together real soon! ;)

So what do you think of Elena helping Katherine out? Reviews are much appreciated! :) Feedback would be nice too, if you were the writer, how would the story go next?


	4. Chapter 4

Walking back to the boarding house living room, Elena questioned herself again and again. A few minutes ago, her humanity kicked in and she found herself helping the person she had quite rapidly learned to loathe. Yet, as soon as she was done helping her ancestor, black washed over white and she found herself quickly hating her again. She did still feel a tad guilty for shoving the cure down her throat but at the end of the day, she killed her brother. What was it that suddenly changed her attitude towards Katherine?

"Elena!" A voice shouted.

Elena snapped out of her thoughts to see a very handsome Damon standing in front of her, looking slightly concerned. "Yes?"

"You okay?" He asked. "You looked a bit... I don't know... out of it." He raised his eyebrow.

"I'm fine." She replied, quickly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah" Elena smiled, trying to reassure Damon that there was nothing wrong.

"Good. So what was up with Katherine? You two were in the bathroom for ages."

Elena crossed her arms, sighed and looked behind Damon to see Katherine curled up on the sofa beside Stefan. She looked extremely tired and fragile. You could see she was beginning to get her strength back, human strength that is, but she still looked as if she could break easily. Stefan looked down upon her, stroking her hair. He looked so protective of her. "She threw up blood, Damon. Not just a small amount though, there was loads of it! She was such a mess when I got to the bathroom. She couldn't stop crying."

"And looking at the state of her now, I'm guessing you did actually help her?"

"Well, of course I did. I couldn't just leave her like that."

"Be careful, Elena. People might start to think you actually like the girl." Damon smiled.

"Of course I don't like her, Damon but it was slightly concerning seeing that much blood come out of a human like that."

"It was probably just her body rejecting all of the blood she had taken in the last week of her being a vampire. I doubt it's anything serious, Elena." Damon wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly. "Look, I know we don't know much about the cure but we're just going to have to learn as we go."

"I know but that could have been me, Damon. If I had taken the cure, like all of you wanted me to, then that would have been me going through all of that right now."

"And aren't you glad it's not." Damon smiled. He really did want her to be human and happy but he was secretly glad that the cure was no longer available to her. It meant that he could spend the rest of eternity with the girl who chose him.

* * *

It was getting late and after a few (or a lot) of drinks, everyone was heading up to bed. No one allowed Katherine to drink so she had ended up falling asleep on Stefan's shoulder out of both tiredness and boredom. She had protested that she was fine and could drink but given that she was now a human who wasn't even on vervain, she had thought it best not to complain too much. As everyone was heading upstairs, Stefan scooped Katherine up into his arms and made his way to his bedroom. She shifted slightly as he placed her onto the bed, accidentally waking her up.

"Stefan?" Katherine asked, half asleep.

"I'm here. It's fine, you're in my room now. Go back to sleep, Katherine." Stefan replied.

"Are you leaving me?" She asked, sounding slightly worried she was going to be left on her own.

"No, I'm not leaving you. I'll be right next to you all night so don't worry." Stefan told her as he got into bed wrapping his arms around the girl, who struggled to keep her eyes open. "Just go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Katherine smiled as she let herself drift off, knowing that she would be safe for tonight. She feared for her life more than ever now. Everyday would be a struggle with so many vampires around. At least she had Stefan taking care of her.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the small delay, guys. College has started picking up again. The next chapter will be juicy though! ;) I'll try and get the next chapter up this week. There probably won't be one next week due to it being my 18th birthday and I'm doing something everyday to celebrate it but I'll try and give you a good one to end this week :) Hope you're still liking this story!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, you may love this chapter, you may hate this chapter! I'm sorry in advance if you do hate it lol Anyway, this will be the last chapter for just over a week whilst I enjoy turning 18 on Tuesday! I have a lot planned for next week haha As soon as next week is over, I will write chapter six :) Enjoy and I hope you are still enjoying A New Touch To Mortality! (Please let me know if you aren't!) xx

* * *

_Running through the dark and dangerous mass of ancient oak, Katherine Pierce forced every muscle she had in her body to run. Run as fast as she could away from the enemy. The one who she once admired before and possibly still did despite the circumstances. The one who was not far behind and was very rapidly catching up. Her lungs worked quickly to provide the oxygen her body needed to carry herself through the maze of forestry that seemed to go on forever. A forest that never ended. Her heart stopped as she tripped and fell into a ditch. However much she wanted to just get up and carry on running, she couldn't. She couldn't find the energy needed to do so. Her body ached more than she had ever experienced and she could now feel the pain of her fresh wounds._

_Leaning against the tree behind her, she laid as low as she possibly could as she heard a voice. If she couldn't get up and run, she may as well try her best to hide herself. "She's here." She heard him whisper. Elijah, she thought. She had grown to adore the company of the Mikaelson boys, especially the elder one. That is, until she learnt the truth of them and herself. "Katerina!" Katherine heard Elijah shout. "I know you're near. I can smell your blood." Her breathing was shaky and fear raced through her. "It's pointless to run. Klaus will find you wherever you are." _

_She heard a gush of air and then a new voice she didn't quite recognise. "This way. There's more blood over there." Katherine didn't see which way the man was referring to but she heard them make their way towards a different direction than where she was. _

_When she was sure they were gone, she placed her hand upon the tree for support and slowly and painfully made herself stand up. She was certain Elijah and the others would come back and find her soon so she would have to find her way out of the forest as quickly as she could. She turned around to look behind the tree she was leaning against. There was no one. Turning around, checking for a clear sight, she was faced with a man who was a few inches taller than her. "Klaus." She gasped. Katherine stumbled backwards and fell against the tree that was blocking her escape. _

"_Katherine. What pleasure it is to see you again." She saw the enemy smile and then it all went black. _

Katherine shot up. Her breathing was uneven, her body shaking. She even felt a tear fall down her cheek. It was merely a matter of seconds before Stefan woke up, acknowledging the condition she was in.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked with a hint of panic arising in his voice. She opened her mouth to say something but she burst into tears at the thought of it. "Hey, just let it all out, okay? You can tell me when you're ready." Stefan pulled her towards him, embracing her tightly against his chest. It felt nice, Katherine thought, comforting.

She gulped. "He's going to kill me, isn't he?"

Stefan looked down at her in confusion. "What? Who? You must have just had a bad dream or something."

"It was a dream but I remember experiencing the same thing five hundred years ago. Except, the ending played out differently..." Katherine quaked in fear, reciting the dream in her mind again.

"You mean Klaus? Was it Klaus who was after you in the dream?"

She nodded, allowing fresh tears to fall. "Of course it was Klaus who was after me. I mean, I know pretty much the entire vampire population is after me but it's Klaus who wants me the most, isn't it? He wants me to make more hybrids. I can't really run away from him any longer now that I'm human, Stefan. He's going to take my blood until I die." She was pretty much in hysterics right now. She may have been the strong, independant Katherine Pierce, but death scared her more than anything. Now that she was human, she was vulnerable and she despised that thought.

Stefan continued to comfort her in his arms. He wasn't one hundred percent sure on what to say to her. It was such an odd experience seeing Katherine so broken and upset. As a vampire, she would have never let her guard down for anyone and to see her so emotional and full of fear and vulnerability was something new. "Katherine, I'm not going to let him kill you. Why don't we go for a walk?"

Katherine looked at the time. "Stefan, it's three in the morning."

"Some fresh air will do you good." He stated.

She sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay."

Stefan helped her out of bed and they both made their way downstairs and out the front of the boarding house. The moon shone brightly upon them as Stefan lead her across the lawn. She didn't utter a word. She only kept her eyes on the ground beneath them. A good ten minutes past and Stefan decided to speak. "So do you feel much better now?"

"Physically, yes but I can't just stop thinking about the fact that Klaus will kill me one day."

"I told you earlier, I won't let Klaus kill you. He'll have to go through me before he can even lay a finger on you."

Katherine smiled. "And you're so sure of that, are you? A hundred and sixty something vampire against an original?"

He chuckled at what Katherine had said but his face soon turned cold and serious. "I'm older."

He was obviously joking but Katherine looked at him in confusion. Of course, Klaus was older! "What do you mean you're-" She had no time to finish her sentence. Stefan pounced on her which sent her flying backwards onto the grass. She winced in pain at the fall. However, that wasn't the only pain she was now feeling. Something much more painful had taken over, something she had no control over. It took her a couple of seconds for her human brain to realise but when she did, she let out an ear piercing scream. Stefan was sucking the blood out of her neck.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I've been 18 for a week now and I'm back! Yay! Sorry to keep you waiting so long. Not sure what you'll think of this chapter. Even I'm not sure what to think haha Enjoy! And please leave reviews! I appreciate every single one of them! :)

* * *

When Katherine made her way out of the boarding house, she could hear nothing but silence. She had forgotten how dull her human senses were. Silas, however, could hear even more than the average vampire could. Being the eldest and most powerful made him confident that he would get what he wanted. He would accomplish his original intentions. Not even the originals could stop him.

"Damon, stop it!" Silas heard Elena laugh before he walked outside.

"Why should I?" Damon grinned. He had been tickling Elena for the past five minutes for so now. Elena enjoyed it really but at the end of the day, tickling was ticking. It could only go so far before somebody got hurt, even if they were both vampires.

_He's older than me_, she thought,_ I've got no chance against him tickling me. _"Because..." She started through fits of giggles.

"Yeah? Because what? That's not a valid reason for me to-"

"Will you two love birds shut up already?!" They both heard Rebekah shout from another room, followed by Elijah and Klaus bursting out laughing. "Some of us are actually trying to sleep here."

A few beats of silence passed by. "That's why you should." Elena smirked. Damon immediately stopped tickling Elena. He didn't want to get on the bad side of the only original girl. He was strong, he admitted but compared to Rebekah, he was like an antelope against a lion. He had no chance. "Scaredy cat!" Elena sung. "You're scared of Rebekah!"

"I am not scared of Rebekah!"

"Of course not, that's why you-" Elena felt his lips meet hers before she could even attempt to finish. _Well, Rebekah can't complain over this,_ she thought. She'd soon have something else to complain about though as every vampire in the house picked up a blood curdling scream from outside. It would have been loud even for a human so you can imagine what it was like for the immortals that currently occupied the boarding house.

As they exited the house, what they saw horrified them all. Stefan sucking the life out of Katherine, except Stefan would never do that, even if it was the girl who turned him and his brother. What had Katherine done that had made him angry enough to lash out like that? Could Stefan not control himself because she was injured before hand? These were the sorts of questions that were running through their minds. Damon yanked him off of the girl he once adored and admired, Katherine lay unconscious. She was just regaining her strength back and then this happens to her.

"Why, Stefan?" Damon asked, gripping him by the shoulders. "I know that's Katherine and I know she's hurt us both in so many ways but I thought you were looking after her!" As Damon ranted, Elijah picked his beloved Katerina in his arms and carried her into the house. It wouldn't be permanent safety for her but for now, she needed aid and rest. She had been through so much in the past week or so, Elijah wasn't sure how much she or her body would be able to take. She was still weak in a sense, especially to the majority of the population surrounding her.

Elijah heard Katherine mumble something in her unconscious state. He couldn't quite make out what she said but she seemed to be in a lot of pain, even if she wasn't quite aware of it. Elijah wasn't a doctor but he ensured the wound on her neck was clean, then he pulled her close and held her. He would hold her until she awoke. He didn't want to risk using vampire blood to heal her, he had a theory that it wouldn't work even if he did feed her his blood. So he just held his Katerina close.

* * *

"Damon." Klaus simply said. "I don't think that's Stefan."

"Well, it would seem the older you are, the smarter you are. Clearly, since I'm the eldest here and the hybrid has just worked it out before you." The doppelganger smirked.

Damon looked to Klaus, only to look back at who he thought was his brother. His face filled with both confusion and realisation. "Silas."

Silas smiled, as if he loved hearing the sound of his name. "Yes, well done! You youngsters actually aren't all that dumb."

Damon frowned, feeling slightly insulted. "Ok, I have three questions for you. One, what have you done to Stefan? Two, why are you posing as Stefan? And three, why feed on Katherine?"

"So many questions, Damon. But surely you must realise why I'm still here, specifically why I'm looking after Katherine.

"You're hardly looking after her if you just fed from her!" Klaus roared. "I need her blood to make more hybrids as soon as she's well enough to do so. If you even think about touching her again, I will ensure you die a long and very painful death. Twice! Do you hear me?" The hybrid was getting up in his face now and Silas didn't even flinch.

"That won't be a problem. With any luck, I'll be dead soon."

"Give it up already." Damon replied. "The cure's gone. It's in Katherine's system now. You're never going to get your hands on it. So I suggest you leave Mystic Falls now before we kill you, like Klaus said."

"Clearly, I have the more powerful witches on my side. Yes, the cure is in Katherine's system. I'm glad you realise that cause now I've fed from her, it's now in my system too. It's not enough to turn me into a human but with help from a very powerful witch, I will be human again and I will die the way I planned. I will reunite with Qetsiyah"


	7. Chapter 7

"What do you mean our blood won't heal her? She's human, Elijah." Damon sounded baffled at the whole idea of Katherine not being able to be healed quickly anymore. Silas had disappeared somewhere, so Katherine was now everyone's main concern right now, surprisingly.

Elijah continued to cradle his loved one in his arms. "Damon, what use would the cure have been to Silas if he could have turned again? He wanted no more than to die. I mean, you can try healing her but I'm certain it won't do much good." He paused. "I just hope you're not falling for her again now that she's human."

Damon made his way over to where Elijah was and sat beside Katherine's sleeping form. "What? Because you want her all to yourself?" The elder Salvatore bit into his wrist and placed it upon the doppelgangers mouth. At first, there was no reaction from the brunette but as the blood oozed out of his wrist and into her mouth, she woke up needing to swallow and as she did, she grimaced. The taste of blood disgusted her now. She looked up to see Elijah before seeing that it was Damon who had his wrist out to her. Why was he helping her? She reached up in an attempt to pull his arm away but he resisted for just a little bit longer. If his blood did heal her, she wouldn't need a lot of the stuff but Damon wanted there to be a better chance of it actually doing something. After a couple more moments, he took his wrist away from her mouth and moved her head slightly to the side to inspect the wound on her neck. Nothing had changed. He frowned.

Elijah grinned. His theory had been proven correct. "Believe me now?"

"Well, that certainly is interesting" Rebekah stated from the other side of the room.

She was awake now and Katherine looked up at the two in worry. "What are you going on about? What's wrong with me?" She asked in alarm.

Damon let out a slight laugh. "Nothing's _wrong_ with you, Katherine. It's just..."

"You can't cheat your injuries now." Elijah explained. "If you get hurt, you won't be able to reply on us to heal you. You'll have to heal human speed. If you're dying, well..." He struggled to finish that sentence. He didn't want to imagine a life without his beloved Katerina.

"So if I die, that's it? No turning back into a vampire? I die and get burried or cremated or whatever?" Everyone nodded "Great." She stressed sarcastically. "Just bloody great!" She got off of Elijah's lap, no matter how much it hurt her to do so.

"Where are you going?" Elijah asked in concern.

She made her way over to Elena who actually stepped back a little. Yes, Katherine was human now but she still hated Elena. Elena had probably done just about everything to mess up Katherine's life. "I bet you're finding this bloody hilarious, aren't you? How dare you shove the cure down my throat! You have destroyed everything I once was."

Elena shook off her fear of her ancestor. Why should she be scared of her? She's human now. If she even attempted to make a move on her, she could easily take her down. "And what _were_ you exactly? As far as all of us are concerned, you didn't really have much of a life. Your child was taken away from you when you were just a child yourself, you've been running from Klaus ever since you turned, you have no friends and no family. If anything, I gave you a chance to rebuild yourself. You should really thank me for that."

"I have you."

"Excuse me?" Elena replied, confused as to what she meant.

Katherine crossed her arms and looked down. Elena's rant had clearly made her realise how little she had in her life, how damaged she was. "_We're_ family. Me and you. I mean, we're distant family, quite distant family but we're still family."

Damon laughed. Elena looked shocked. Others looked surprised. Elena never considered her to be family. Everyone else presumed Katherine never considered Elena family either, considering how much she hates her. "What are you saying?"

Katherine let out a sigh. "What I'm saying is, you're the only family I have. I don't want to spend the rest of my life, however long that may be, alone."

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Good? Bad? Please tell me what you think of this story and if you're still enjoying it lol

So what do we all think of Katherine wanting to have Elena as family? And will Silas' plan work?


	8. Chapter 8

"There's something wrong with her, Damon." After Katherine admitted that she wanted to count Elena as family, the younger doppelganger rushed out of the living room. It made Katherine look slightly guilty, she knew Elena wouldn't want her as family but it was worth the try, right? Damon went after Elena and they were both now standing in the Salvatore's dining room. "Where did all this humanity come from? Surely she wasn't quite like this when she was originally human? The cure's changed her. Not just from being a vampire to a human but it's changed her attitude as well. This isn't Katherine Pierce anymore. And now she wants to be a part of my family?"

"I can't tell you what she was like back then but what I can say is that she's scared. Think about it Elena, she's spent five hundred years running from Klaus, using the advantages of being a vampire to do so and she's succeeded for this long. Now that she's human, she's just a scared little girl who can't run anymore. She has nothing to live for, no family and no friends. You. "Damon said, poking Elena in the chest. "Are the closest thing to family she has."

"I know but-" Elena desperately wanted to find a valid reason why she couldn't have her included in her family tree.

"I know you hate her but right now, she's scared and probably panicking for her life. I'm not trying to take sides but maybe this cure has changed her, maybe you should give her a chance."

"She killed Jeremy. And she tried to kill me."

"A second chance then."

Elena glared at him for a few moments and then sighed. "Fine!" She exclaimed as went to walk back into the living room, only to see no sign of her ancestor. "Where's Katherine?" She asked.

Elijah looked up at her. "She said she was going for a walk, wanted to get some fresh air."

"I've upset her, haven't I?" The doppelganger crossed her arms over her chest.

"Pretty much." Klaus stated. Elena let out another sigh and strode out of the house to find Katherine.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, I know! Sorry if it feels like I haven't updated recently, it might not have been that long but it feels long to me lol I've broken up from college for the summer now so I'll try to get chapters up more regularly.

Katherine and Elena interaction coming up! :) (And don't worry, Stefan will be back soon!)


	9. Chapter 9

Katherine had walked around the Salvatore estate but decided now was not the time to be going back into that house. She didn't want to face them all, she felt as though every ounce of pain had been brutally stripped away from her and she couldn't deal with being a fragile, weak and vulnerable human. She felt tears prickling in her eyes. She took in a deep breath. _No_, she thought. She was stronger than that. She wasn't going to allow herself to cry. She _had_ to be stronger than that. She was Miss Katherine Pierce. Not Elena Gilbert, the doppelganger who cried at every element that went wrong in her life.

She found herself at the edge of the forest. It was dark and she couldn't see much ahead of her. Yet, it looked almost inviting. The dark invitation had drawn her into the forest and she found herself stepping over and snapping various twigs and branches, leaves rustled beneath her and the moon shone down through the gaps in the trees.

She began to think about her life. Where did it all go wrong for her? When did she become the enemy? The one that no one wanted to be around? She couldn't even think of a single person who wanted her alive! Except for Klaus, that is. But Klaus didn't want her to alive for her personality. He wanted her for her blood. He wanted the Petrova line to continue again.

She had always wanted another child. She never got to the stage of actually looking after and raising one. Her father ripped away that opportunity without a second thought and she hated him for that. At the time, anyway. And years after that. Yes, it wasn't tolerated at that time to have a child out of wedlock and yes, she was only a teenager but her daughter was still her own flesh and blood, her father's granddaughter. It wasn't until a few decades after her baby was taken away, just how how much she missed her mother and father. Right now, she would do anything to bring them back. Even if it was just for a few moments. It was one thing being a vampire and not having any family but to not have family when you're human was upsetting. Katherine felt useless in the world. She also felt played and cheated too. Her shadow self had managed to catch up and beat her in the survival game. They had literally swapped places. She hated the word. She hated to think of herself as...mortal. She forced herself to be strong all of those years ago. Five hundred years of putting herself first, keeping herself alive, ended with the cure. And whose fault was it? She heard footsteps behind her and she turned around quickly to see... Elena. She should have guessed it would be her doppelganger, always ruining things.

"What do you want?" Katherine sulked and turned around on the tree stump she was sitting on to face away from her, bringing her knees up to her chest. "There's a reason I came out here, you know. There's this amazing thing called giving people privacy. You should really try it one day."

"You're upset." Elena stated.

Katherine laughed in return. "And what makes you think I'm upset, exactly? And even if I were upset, why should you care? You've never given a damn about me before!" She buried her head into her knees, feeling humanity kick in. She could feel those horrible human tears coming again.

Elena didn't want to admit it but what she was about to say was the truth and she had been denying it for so long. "We're family." Elena let that sink in for a few moments, for both of them. Katherine seemed surprised at what Elena said too. "You asked me earlier if we could be family. The truth is, I was taken back at first. It upset me to think about my family, having lost so many of them." Katherine couldn't help but think the same about her family. Her and Elena were truly the same when it came to certain elements in their lives. She had also lost so many of them. "It didn't seem like you either... But I thought about it... And we are family at the end of the day and I know you don't have anyone else out there."

"So you're okay with it? You don't think it's weird or anything?" She was wiping tears away from her eyes but she was eager and excited. She wanted to feel like she belonged again.

"I'm fine with it on two conditions." Elena said, firmly.

Trust Elena to come up with conditions for welcoming someone into her family. Katherine rolled her eyes. "And would what they be?"

"Well, first of all, you can't go around plotting to kill me. Ever! I know you want to because I forced the cure down you but in return, I won't hurt you either. Family don't do that to each other."

"Fine." Katherine sighed. She felt defeated in that department because she knew she would never be able to have killed her anyway. Elena was a vampire and Katherine was now human. Elena was stronger and quicker than she was. "What's the other condition?"

"You include Jeremy in this. He's family too."

"Jeremy's been dead for a while, Elena."

Elena smiled. She felt really happy in saying this. "No, he isn't. He phoned me earlier. Bonnie managed to bring him back. Permanently."

"Oh." Was all Katherine managed to say. She was responsible for Jeremy's death and if she was going to include Jeremy as family too, things would sure be awkward between them both. "Okay." She managed to say slowly. "Well, that's good. I'm glad he's okay." He had been killed in order for her to get the cure to win her freedom back and in the end, the cure was used on her. How pitiful. "And I'm sorry about Jeremy." Elena couldn't decide whether she wanted to accept her apology or not so she just gave her a small smile instead, acknowledging her apology. "I have a condition too."

"Go on" Elena beckoned.

"Could you help me find Stefan, please?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the slight delay in updating. Can't promise anything, of course, but I can promise that they'll be up as soon as I can. I'm back with my summer job tomorrow and I have my part time job as well as Textiles work but I'm doing my best! :)

So what do you think? I know Elena is sort of out of character here and Katherine kind of is as well but that's just the way of the story. I wanted them to come to an understanding of some sorts and putting them together as family seemed like an interesting idea for me to write about. Stefan will be back soon (hopefully!) ;) and I hope you're still enjoying my fanfiction. I'm enjoying writing it! :) Please leave reviews, I appreciate every single one of them!


	10. Chapter 10

"Katherine, I don't want to be pessimistic but what if Stefan's not there?" Damon asked, whilst turning his head from the driver's seat to look at Katherine in the back. Damon was driving the doppelgangers to the lake. After the two Petrova doppelgangers had kind of made up and classed each other as family, Katherine convinced both Elena and Damon to come with her to find Stefan. She needed him. He probably hated her guts but she didn't care. She was determined to save him and bring him back home.

"He must be there. You said yourself, it's where he came to drop Silas into the lake. He can't be anywhere else. He wouldn't have run away, especially with Silas around."

"I know I said that." Damon sighed. "But all I'm saying is that there's a chance he's not gonna be there."

Katherine was beginning to get annoyed with how negative he was being on Stefan's whereabouts. "If he's not there, then we'll keep looking until we find him."

Damon sighed again and Elena laughed. "What's so funny, love?"

She smiled as she looked at her boyfriend. "You. Not arguing with Katherine. I mean, it's not like she's stronger than you anymore."

"Don't push me, Elena." Katherine warned. "I know how to kill a vampire."

"We're still stronger than you." Elena replied.

"That maybe so but I can still kill you in your sle-"

"Are you on vervain?" Elena asked with a smug look on her face. Katherine sunk back. She had forgotten that she needed vervain to protect herself from compulsion. Elena and Damon looked at each other and smiled. Katherine sat in silence with her arms folded across her chest. She felt like she was a child whose parents had just tricked her into shutting up.

It was silent for a while longer before Damon pulled into the side of the road where the cliff was that overlooked the lake. As they got out of the car, they saw what Silas was once wrapped in, ready to be dropped into the water. Katherine knew he was here, he had to be. Silas wouldn't have just let him go easily.

Katherine walked towards the edge of the cliff and peered over. It was a long drop. An incredibly long drop. It wasn't the smoothest of surfaces either. But she needed Stefan. She took off her leather jacket and her heels just as Damon realised what she was doing. He sped to her with his vampire speed, placed both arms around her waist and pulled her backwards. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Katherine?!"

"Let go of me, I need to save Stefan!" She struggled as much as she could, trying to unwrap his arms from around her but it was no use, she wasn't strong enough to budge him.

"Are you forgetting that you're human now? If you jump, you'll hit that cliff and die. " Damon spoke in her ear as she weakly struggled in his arms. Tears began to trickle down her face. How could she forget? She felt her legs give way and she sunk down to the floor, bringing Damon with her. He continued to hold her whilst Elena came over and crouched to her level.

"I want Stefan." Katherine quietly sobbed.

Elena held her hand in her own. "We'll find him." She focused on looking into the human's eyes. "Stay here with Damon for now, I'll jump down into the water and I'll find him, okay?"

Katherine nodded. "I'll stay here with Damon."

Elena looked up at Damon who nodded in approval, knowing Elena did the right thing. Elena had family to look after. She didn't want another member of her family dead.

The vampire took a run up and jumped.

* * *

A/N: Really sorry about the long delay! I've been so busy! :( However, I finished my summer job yesterday and I have a week left of nothing before I go back to college so I'll get this story updated more regularly. Again, really sorry! Hope you're still enjoying A New Touch To Mortality! :)


	11. Chapter 11

The water was cold. Unbelievably cold! Any human who entered the depths of the lake would sure to be affected by the violent tides that now appeared. Luckily for Elena, she wasn't human. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad Damon had stopped Katherine from jumping down here. Yes, vampires hated water but they could tolerate extremes likes these better than humans could.

As Elena swam further down, it became more difficult to see anything. The water was dirty and it only got dirtier the further down Elena went, preventing her from seeing clearly. Admittedly, vampires did have better vision than humans but the dirt was thick, it clouded her sight. However, something glistened in the corner of her eye. Something small and gold. As she swam closer, she was surprised to see it was gold swirly writing. The same writing that was engraved on the safe in the Salvatore house. Confusion overtook her. Did Stefan use the safe to transport Silas? She wasn't sure. At the time, she was too preoccupied with Katherine to even be concerned with Stefan and Silas. Katherine… It still amazed her that suddenly, not only did she have Jeremy back in the family, but she had Katherine to look after now too. And it was herself who shoved the cure down her throat. It was true she didn't have to look after her ancestor. She could have just compelled her to leave Mystic Falls and forget all about her and the supernatural world but she felt deep down that it was the right thing to do. Where was this nice attitude towards Katherine coming from? She quickly shook her thoughts away and focused on finding Stefan. The safe could just be empty for all she knew but she thought she'd check anyway. Goodness knows what state he would be in if Stefan _was i_nside the safe. She didn't even want to think about it. Elena tried to prise open the safe but it wouldn't budge. She didn't know the combination for it and she doubted it would work right now seeing as it was engulfed in water. She quickly skimmed the lake's floor but there was nothing in sight that she could use to force it open with. Using every ounce of vampire strength and her determination, she tried again. And this time, it worked! The door to the safe jolted open and she used all her strength to open it fully to reveal… Stefan! Her eyes widened at the brown haired boy she once fell in love with. He was unconscious. Who knew how long he had been like that? Elena pulled him out of the safe. She put her arms around his shoulders and dragged him with her until both of their heads were above the water level. Elena let out a huge gasp. She didn't realise how long she had been holding her breath for. It must have been quite a while. Looking back over at the younger Salvatore, she could see he looked lifeless. She wondered whether he could feel pain at all. She felt sorry for him.

Elena carried Stefan over her shoulder as she approached the cliff she jumped down before. It was going to be a struggle getting back up but she knew she had to do it quickly.

* * *

"Stefan!" There wasn't even a second pause between the moment Elena reached the top of the cliff and when Katherine had got up like the speed of light to reach for his side. Katherine was in tears, both of happiness and sadness. She hated being human. She hated it so much! But Stefan was now here and he was alive and now conscious. Maybe everything would be okay now, she hoped. "I've missed you Stefan." She sobbed as she helped him walk away from the cliff. "I've missed you so much!"

He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. Damon took his jacket off and placed it around his shoulders before wrapping his arm around them. Stefan was here, yet his eyes were distant. He was out of it. Damon even wondered whether he knew who was around him or if he had registered Katherine speaking to him a moment ago. He certainly didn't seem to register anyone's presence. "We're all here for you, little bro." He said as he helped him stand up. They all helped him get into the car. Elena drove back this time. Damon stayed in the back with his brother. Stefan had an unreadable expression on his face. He looked shocked and full of pain but at the same time, he also looked emotionless. Dead. It worried everyone. Especially Katherine.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it... Stefan is back! But what will he be like now that he is out? And what is to be for Katherine and Stefan? Will Katherine ever get a chance of getting back with him? Find out soon! XD


	12. Chapter 12

Elena was sat on the Salvatore's sofa, listening to what was going on upstairs but staring intently at the figure ahead of her. Katherine was sat at the piano, using only one hand as her fingers glided across to various keys. She had no idea what she was actually doing but still, she continued to sit there and play something that wasn't very appealing to any bodies ears. Katherine looked both worried and miserable. Elena figured she was sad because it was only just dawning on her, just how weak and vulnerable she actually was now. There was nothing she could do to protect herself. However, she was worried for Stefan. Yes, they had saved him but at the moment, Katherine was worried for his mental health. They saved him physically but being under water, locked in a safe for that long must have done some damage to his mind. Even for a vampire.

Katherine stopped playing suddenly and rubbed at her wrist. She hated being human, she really did. Just messing around on the piano made her wrist ache. She wasn't going to let something silly stop her though. Her hands dragged across the black and white once again.

It was unmistakable that Katherine was tired. Elena could see it in her eyes, the way she slouched on the piano stool, she looked like she could fall asleep any second. Damon walked into the room and smiled at Elena as she did so in return. They were all worried for Stefan but Damon's smile reassured Elena that he would be okay in time.

The elder Salvatore brother walked towards Katherine, still sat at the piano. "Do you want me to teach you one day?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head slightly and looked up at him with heavy eyes. "Is Stefan okay?"

He wondered for a moment what to say to the poor girl. At the end of the day, she was still Katherine Pierce. Maybe he should be direct and blunt about his condition? "It took him awhile to get into the bath water but I'm sure he's going to be fine. You don't need to worry about him tonight."

Her eyes were drooping slightly. "But someone needs to look after him. I can do that, Damon."

"I'm not doubting that, Katherine. I'm sure you would. I'll look after him tonight and by the looks of things, I need to look after you too." He said with a slight laugh.

"I'm fine." Katherine replied quite quickly.

"No, you're not. Your body is knackered. You need to sleep."

"Damon, I said I'm fine!" Katherine said, as she attempted to get up to do something productive, just to prove that she was awake and well. "Just because I'm human, doesn't mean I'm an invalid." Damon's point was proven as he had to catch her after she tripped over nothing.

"Are you sure about that?" He laughed. Katherine groaned as she let him guide her to the sofa. She was too weak and tired to argue. "You can help look after Stefan tomorrow." He still wasn't sure what his brother thought about Katherine being here. Damon made a bed for her on the sofa and she fell asleep pretty much as soon as her head touched the pillow. Damon smiled. _I'm always right_, he thought. "Keep an eye on her." He motioned to Elena, who was sat on the other sofa pretending to watch TV but in actual fact, she was just glaring at her ancestor who seemed to be getting all of Damon's attention right now.

Elena frowned. "Why me?!"

"Because family help each other, Elena. You help yours. I've got to help mine."


	13. AN

A/N: Right, I hate uploading what you think are chapters but are actually just author's notes BUT I'm going to say this now before I get people asking where the next chapter is!

The next chapter may take a little longer. Maximum it will be is 2 weeks but I'll try and get one up way before that. It's just because I have a lot of college work due in over the next week and if I focus on this story, I won't get my work done :'(

Really sorry! If there isn't a chapter up two weeks from today, then please moan at me! Like I said, I will try! XD Just bare with me whilst I get this college load out of the way!


	14. Chapter 14

The night was difficult. For both Elena and Damon. It was difficult for Damon to watch his baby brother in pain. He may have been rescued but that certainly wasn't the end to the torture he endured. Locked in that safe for three months really hurt him mentally. He was scared. Scared of being near water, scared of being in small spaces and scared of being alone. He protested every time Damon left the room, even if it were for only two seconds. He was thankful that his big brother was there to help him through it all though. Eventually, he might be okay but that certainly wasn't going to be soon.

Elena, however, had a slightly different night. She spent the majority of it keeping an eye on the sleeping version of herself. Katherine had stayed asleep for hours so Elena thought it was safe for her to fall asleep too. She would have no trouble from the human if she stayed that way all night. How wrong could she be? When the clock reached 2.06am, she heard a clattering coming from the kitchen. She opened her eyes, assuming it was Damon but she turned her head to the other sofa to see no doppelganger. Sighing, Elena dragged herself off of the comfy sofa and headed to the kitchen. The sight she saw before her was amusing for certain but she didn't let that show. "Are you being serious, Katherine? It's two in the morning!"

Katherine only looked annoyed. "I only came out here for something to eat. I was hungry but obviously, there isn't much in this house."

Elena sighed and went over to Katherine, helping her pick up everything that had dropped onto the floor. Pans, pots and even cutlery. Elena didn't even want to know how all of this ended up on the floor. "There isn't any food in this house because there doesn't tend to be humans staying here." There was silence. Katherine felt awkward. And hungry. "Ok, we'll go out for a drive and get some food. Does that sound good?"

She looked slightly miserable but she perked up slightly at the thought of finally getting some food. "Okay."

Forty five minutes later and the Petrova doppelgangers were back at the Salvatore house. One now fed and the other slightly irritated.

"Katherine?" Elena asked.

"Yes?" Katherine replied, who sat herself down on the sofa drinking her strawberry milkshake from the drive through.

"I've taken you out and bought food for you, can you go back to sleep now?"

"Elena, I may be human but I'm still older than you, you don't boss me around."

"Oh, is that so? May I need to remind you that you're still vervain free?"

Katherine's face hardened as she realised just how weak and vulnerable she really was. If they wanted, Katherine could easily be a puppet, the vampires pulled the strings. She was going to have to work on that. She needed vervain.

* * *

In all seriousness, I need to ask you something. What do you think of my writing? I've started to have serious writer's block recently and I'm really struggling with my English course in college this year. I think I'm okay with creative writing but we do none of that in English Language. It's all analysing stuff which I'm really finding difficult this year. Not even sure why :( Just wanted to ask though, is my creative writing okay? Need to know what you think XD

And yes, I am back! :) That college load is out of the way! Sure there will be more though :L


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